Monthly Archives: April 2015

So you want to help with Rescue but you don’t know how to start? You want to pick up every stray but you’ve ever seen, but never even been able to catch one. You jump out of a moving vehicle trying to get the dog in the middle of the street. You just know he is going to get hit by a car. Other cars are whizzing by, the dog is crouched shivering, but still scrambling to get across the street and away from all the wonderful do-gooders who have stopped their cars in the middle of traffic to chase the poor dog.

Or you want to adopt but you just don’t have the time to commit to 10 or 12 years to a pet right now but you would like to help.

You could offer to drive transport, which is wonderful, I do it all the time. You help dogs to safety, get them out of kill shelters, and sometimes take them to their new permanent homes! All fabulous stuff.

But what about fostering? A lot of people don’t even know what it is.

First a dog is “pulled” from a kill shelter (this is taking the dog out of the shelter, which is done by a reputable puller, a licensed 501c, and the dog is evaluated for adoption) They are given a battery of tests to look for friendliness, food aggression, interaction with people, being touched, being around other dogs, cats, kids, etc.

After that, the dogs are sent to rescues willing to help with the adoption, the healing, the socializing of these poor babies. There is much that goes on, vet bills, finding room at their shelters, or with others

Let me share with you a quote from a Rescue and what they do… a lot of rescues have the same credo, this happens to be ACT NOW RESCUE NEW ENGLAND

About Our Rescue Group…

What is rescue? Many people have varying ideas as to “what is rescue”. We take in strays, owner turn ins and pull from “high kill” shelters. As long as there is a dog in need we will be there to save it. We are not breed specific, and we are not about highly adoptable healthy dogs. Many of our dogs are not without health issues or behavior issues that need to be resolved. We feel with our heart, not our mind which would tell us unhealthy dogs are expensive. Is cost an option? Who is to say any certain dog is not worth saving. What is a life worth? If you would ask, tammy, laurie, jan What was the worth of their loving companion? PRICELESS! Rescue is expensive. Even with vet discounts, the bills are astronomical.. Our group will never say a dog is not worth saving.The difference it makes to the family that adopts, will always be worth the expense. We will continue to rescue those in need . God bless to our adopters and supporters. The Act Now Rescue Team.

….. that’s where fostering comes in.

A lot of shelters have their own fosters that work with them all the time. Sometimes a dog is adopted right away and the foster only has that pet for a very short time. Sometimes it takes a lot longer, and the foster has to say how long they will commit to the dog….till another foster can take it? till the shelter has room? till they fall in love with the pet and decide to keep him??? That happens a lot!! LOL!!

I have overnighted dogs, (when a transport from far away is rolling there is usually a midpoint where they need the dogs to go to someone’s home and get out of the cars.) Rest, food, and a little companionship are a must to keep the stress levels down and to give the drivers a day time schedule. No one out driving these dogs in the middle of the night.

sad faced Leo the pup

I have fallen in love overnight and wanted to keep them, but you can’t keep them all and usually you can’t take a dog off transport even if you want to adopt them, they go to the rescue and then if you have fallen in love, you contact them for adoption info.

Most of these rescues have very stringent rules for the safety of the dog. Home inspection, background checks, charging fees to adopt, etc. Unfortunately there are still many people that do wish harm to animals and no one wants to rescue a dog and then have it end up in harms way with a bad person.

But back to Fosters. They are so important because a rescuer can rescue and a rescue organization can help find a home, but in the interim, most rescues only have so much room and need people to home these dogs for a while as they look for permanent love connections…

These fosters are sometimes the first time a dog is loved, is touched, yes, dogs from puppy mills or that were born on the street no NO kindness or socialization. Most of them do, but they come from all walks of life. It is so rewarding to see them blossom when they are nurtured and see that food, petting, bathing, interaction are all there all the time. Its what makes them wonderful pets for the adopter, because of you the great kind caring foster.

So please look into it!! Please think of volunteering. Most of these dogs are no problem and just need a place to lay their head and are the most grateful animals because they need the kindness and appreciate it more than any other pet!

And actually, Right now… My very good friend Chella Melnuchuk is looking for a foster for a short term in Rochester NY. She is the rescuer of many dogs in the Bahamas. She isThe Voiceless Dogs of the Bahamas and feeds, waters, medicates and helps these dogs. She finds them homes mostly here in the states. So if you are in the Rochester area, please contact me and let me know and we will put you in contact with the receiving rescue up there.